Straight bar knitting machine



April 6, 1943. A. F. VERBEEK STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31, 1939 3 3 wm a 9 E nTm 0. x

Avvnvrme AKA 0m fiw/P/m mam April 6, 1943. A. F. VERBEEK 2,316,030

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1.959 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 wax/M w ww $3 3 NW Q A. F. VERBEEK STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Flled March 51 1959 April 6, 1943.

. April 6, 1943.

A. F. VERBEEK STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 Q fivrewrak O AZW/am/EWI/MM April 6, 1943. A. F. VERBEEK STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 51, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 s'ralucn'r nan KNITTING momma Arnold Friedrich Verbeek, Oberlungwita, Ger many, minor to Kaiio, Inc., New York, N. Y a corporation of New York Application March :1, 1939, Serial No. mm In Germany March 31, 138

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in straight bar knitting machines, and is more particularly concerned with an improved automatic yarn changing mechanism adapted for use in a multiple section full-fashioned type hosiery machine.

Knitting machines of this general type are commonly provided with a multiplicity of yarn carrier rods extending along the length of the machine, each carrier rod having a yarn carrier supported thereon for operation at each knitting section. The machine herein disclosed is provided with nine such carrier rods which are, employed selectively to feed yarn to the several knitting sections during the knitting of dlflerent portions of a hosiery blank. Further in accordance with the usual practice, four of these rods and their associated yarn carriers have idling positions at one end of their traverse, the other five carrier rods and associated carriers having idling positions at the other end of their traverse. In idling position, the carrier rods and associated yarn carriers vare located beyond the limits of normal movement when in active operation, and with the yarn carriers considerably beyond the end of the associated needle sections.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a novel and improved yarn changing mechanism adapted for use in a machine of this general description, which will be more certain and accurate inoperation for the return of newly idled yarn carriers to their inoperative or idling positions, and for certainly picking up and operating selected carriers in accordance with a master pattern control during continued machine operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel means for shifting selected carrier rods and associated yarn carriers to and from their idling position, so that such selected carrier rods may be certainly and accurately coupled with their friction driving means during continued machine operation.

It is still another object of the invention to provide mechanisms for operatively connecting and disconnecting selected carriers from an aux-.

iliary driving device having provision for automatically driving one or more of a plurality of selected carrier rods without the necessity of altering the operating relationship of the driving device with respect to the active carrier rods, and yarn carriers associated therewith, during the knitting of the whole or any selected portion of the several needle sections.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement of the operating and control mechanism for driving the several yarn carrier rods and associated carriers, and for moving selectively activated carrier rods from and returning the same to their inactive idling positions in order to provide for a more completely automatic operation of this mechanism.

In carrying out the present invention, applicant has provided a yarn carrier driving mech-- anism which comprises with'the usual reciprocating friction driving rod,-a friction driving device arranged to be reciprocated thereby, and having a plurality of driving fingers automatically operable to engage with and drive selected carrier rods, a narrowing mechanism including carrier stops operable to control the eflective traverse or the active carrier rods, and an auxiliary driving mechanism operable to engage with and shift any selected carrier rod from its inactive idling position into the zone of active operation on the knitting needles, as determined by the position of the narrowing carrier stops, and into position for operatively coupling said carrier rod with the friction driving mechanism in active operation. The auxiliary driving mechanism above referred to, is also arranged to engage with and return any selected carrier rod or rods which are rendered inoperativeto their inactive idling positions.

While the illustrated embodiment of the present invention disclosed applicant's auxiliary driving mechanism which has been illustrated particularly in connection with the control of the ilve carrier rods and associated yarn carriers having inactive idling positions at the right hand end of the respective knitting sections, it will be understood that this auxiliary driving mechanism is adapted to operate in an identical manner for similarly rendering operative and in operative the carrier rods which may be idled at the left hand end of the respective knitting sections.

Further in accordance with the invention, applicanthas provided a novel arrangement of the pattern control mechanism controlled from the main pattern chain 01 the machine including a number of specifically novel pattern controls for-- adapting his yarn driving and changing mechanism for continuous automatic operation during continued knitting on the machine. V

A principal feature of the invention consists in the provision of an auxiliary driving mechanism controlled Irom the pattem chain of the machine and arranged to be actuated from the slur-cock bar for shifting selected carrier rods and their associated yarn carriers to and from their inactive idling positions. This mechanism comprises essentially an auxiliary driving device which is arranged to be operatively connected and disconnected from the slur-cock bar, and is further provided with a plurality of driving fingers which may be brought selectively and automatically into and out of operative engagement with cooperating driving lugs on the associated driving rods.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the auxiliary driving device above referred to, is arranged to traverse a newly actuated carrier rod into engagement with a coupling stop which may be the usual recoil stops associated with the narrowing mechanism of the machine, whereby the carrier rod may thereupon with certainty and accuracy be coupled with the associated driving finger of the friction driving device of the machine within the range of active operation of the driving device. It will be understood that while only one friction driving device has been illustrated having driving fingers connectible with five carrier rods designated as having idling positions at the right hand end of the several knitting sections, additional friction driving devices may be provided along the length of the machine, and it will be further understood that such friction driving devices may have one or a plurality of driving fingers for the actuation of a selected carrier rod or rods as may be desired.

The several features of the invention consists also in the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line I--I looking in the direction of the arrow C of Fig. 6, and illustrating particularly the auxiliary driving device; Fig. 2 is a front view illustrating particularly the auxiliary driving device shown in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow A; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line B of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrow D, and illustrating particularly the pattern control mechanism for rendering the auxiliary driving device operative and inoperative; 5 is an enlarged detail plan view in front elevation illustrating particularly the mechanism for throwing the auxiliary driving device into and out of active operation; Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation of a multiple section full-fashioned knitting machine with portions broken away to illustrate particularly the several features of the present invention as applied to a full-fashioned hosiery machine; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line VII of Fig. 6, and looking in the direction of the arrow F, illustrating particularly one of the stop nuts on the narrowing spindle; Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view in front elevation of the left hand narrowing spindle stop nut shown in Figs. 6 and '7 Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view taken on the line IX of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrow H; Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line XX of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrow J, and on an enlarged scale, to illustrate particularly the friction driving device for the carrier. rods; and Fig. 11 is a view in front elevation on an enlarged scale of the friction driving device illustrated in Figs. 6 and 10.

As shewn in Fig. l, the auxiliary driving device consists of a housing I which is longitudinally movable on three shafts 2, 3 and 4. The shafts 2, 3 and 4 and also the shafts 5 and 6 shewn in Fig. 1 are mounted on the knitting machine and are supported on a bracket I which is secured to the extended end of the bar 8 and to a similarly shaped bracket 9 which is likewise attached to the bar 8 close to the outermost support frame I0, Figs. 4 and 6.

The shaft 2 is. in contradistinction to the remaining shafts, rotatably mounted in the arms I and 9. On the shaft 2 nine cam discs II are mounted so as to rotate within the housing I. These cam discs co-operate with nine levers it which are rotatably mounted on a pivot shaft l3 in the housing I. The lower ends of the levers I2 are slotted. Short pins I4 engage in the slots which pins are fastened to nine slides l5 running substantially perpendicular to the levers. The slides I5 can be moved backwards and forwards in the direction of the arrow A by the levers I2 and the cam discs II. The levers I2 are acted upon by nine helical springs I6 which are fastened to the housing I.

At the medial plane of the housing I nine driving pins I! are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the arrow A, being mounted so as to be displaceable in the direction of the arrow B. In Fig. l eight of the driving pins are in the inoperative position and the foremost in the working position. The driving pins I! are also acted upon by a spring l8 which tends to draw the pins downwards. This downward movement is prevented by the cam like projections I9 on the slides I5. Each driving pin I1 is supported by a pin 20 co-acting with the cam surface I9 which pin 20 is fitted to the top end of the driving pin, a slide I5 being associated with each driving pin ll. Each driving pin I! can therefore be raised or lowered by rotating the control shaft 2.

Fig. 3 shews further the co-operation of the pins 20 with the slides I5. For the sake of clarity there are only shewn two levers I2 and one spring I6.

The driving pins H are disposed immediately above the carrier rods 2I. The carrier rods are mounted to slide on a bridge 22 which is fastened to the extended end of the bar 8. On the bridge 22 there is arranged an end stop 23 with adjustable screws 24 which stop, with the assistance of the stops 25, which are mounted on the bars, establishes the position of rest of the thread guides to the right of the needle rows in the embodiment shewn. Five lugs 26 are fixed to the thread guide bars with oblique rising surfaces 21, 28 and a slanting or tapering notch in the centre 29 to engage the driving pins I1.

Fig. 2 shews the pin I1 in engagement with the first carrier rod 2|.

The carrier rods 2| as will be explained are moved by the driving device into the working position or into the position of rest. For this purpose a corresponding displacement of the auxil- I2 and is supported on a bar 31. Fitted to the right and left of the part 32 are two pins 38 which serve as supports for 'the parts 33, 34. These parts are in the form of hell crank levers. One end of the lever carries a roller 39 or 45 and the other end a stop block M or 42. The parts 4|, 42 canbe brought into engagement with a bar 43 which is fixed to arms 44 in the housing I, of the driving device. On the shaft 8 there are mounted two arms 45, 48 with release came", 41 which are intended for raising the rollers 38 and 48 respectively.

The .bar 31 extends over the whole path of the clutch 31. It is fastened to the arms 61. These are non-rotatably fixed to a shaft 58 which is rotatably mounted in arms rigidly secured to shaft 3, one being shown at 49 on the shaft 6. As shown in Fig. 4 a short lever arm 50 is mounted non-rotatably on the shaft 68 which arm can be rotated from the shaft 2 through rod 5| by a cam lever 52 and a cam disc 53.

onetooth, and, consequently, a corresponding rotation of the cam discs ll. Fig. 6 shows in elevation the parts of the straight ,bar knitting machine that are essential to the invention. The auxiliary driving device i is located in its righthand position of rest. The auxiliary driving device as well as the corresponding driving means are arranged outside the needle rows of the machine at the end of their traverse to the right. In Fig. 6 it is assumed that the foremost driving .pin l1 has been brought into engagement with the lug 26 of the foremost carrier rod 21. The carrier rod 2| carries the thread guides 18 which, in their position of rest, are located on the right of the needle rows. In Fig. 6 one needle section 11 with a piece of hosiery 12 is indicated. The

corresponding needle bar 13 is fitted on the knit The operation of the clutch device is as follows:

When the slur cock :bar 38 is in the right hand end position, the clutch device occupies the position represented on the right in Fig. 5. It is supposed that the clutch is dis-engaged. This is the case when the bar 31 takes up the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. In this position the part 3'- rests on one of the pins 38. The part 33 rests on the release cam 48. The release cams 48 and 41 serve to release the clutch device 3| before the slur cock bar reaches its end position. As can be seen from the right hand side of Fig. 5 the block 4| of the part 39 is shifted through a certain amount in relation to the left hand edge of the bar 43.

When the clutch is to be operated from right to left by movement of the bar 30, the bar 31 is rotated in the clockwise direction from the position illustrated as viewed in Fig. .1 by means of the cam disc 53 through the lever 52, the bar 51 and the levers 58 and 81 (see Fig. 4), by a corresponding rotation of the control shaft 2. The roller 36' then moves in the counterclockwise direction from the position illustrated as viewed in Fig. l, and frees the coupling part 34 so that the member 42 is brought in front of the right hand edge of the bar 43 and the auxiliary driving device i is moved from right to left on the ensuing movement of the slur cock bar. In the middle of Fig. 5 the position of the parts 4|, 42 and 43 is shewn in dot and dash lines in the middle of their movement. The left hand half of Fig. 5 shews the auxiliary driving device in the left hand end, position. At this point the clutch has been released by the running of the rollers 40 on to the release cam 41. The clutch 3| has, after being released,

moved further through a certain amount to the left together with the slur cock bar. The clutch is now in the position in which the auxiliary driving device can be traversed from left to right on the next following movements of the slur cock bar.

Fig. 4 shews the control of the cam discs II by the control shaft 2 On the shaft 2 is a pawl and ratchet connection consisting of a ratchet wheel 55a, a pawl 55b and a driving lever 550. The movement of a cam 56 on the cam shaft 51 is transmitted to the pawl 55b through a roller lever 58 with roller 59 and through the bar 80. The roller 59 can be disengaged and engaged. For this purpose there is employed a fork 5| which can be displaced by a control rod 52 from the pattern chain of the machine (Fig. 6). As long as the roller 59 is located in the working position, there takes place for every rotation of the cam shaft 51 an advanoing'of the wheel 55a through ting machine in the usual manner.

As has hereinbefore been stated, the auxiliary driving device i is moved backwards and forwards by the slur cock rail, the movement being limited by the release earns 41 and 48. According to the example of embodiment, for the purpose of fixing the working position of the thread guides, there are used controlled stops 15 and 16 which are fitted on the narrowing spindle 1 15f the machine and which, in the usual man er, serve for preventing the recoil of the carrier rods when the latter strike the stops 11 and 18 which are likewise fitted on the narrowing spindle or on the housing 19 which is carried by the narrowing spindles.

The narrowing spindle as well as the devices carried by it are, for the sake of clearness, represented diagrammatically in Fig. 6. The bearing arms 88 denote the bearing means of the machine. The narrowing spindle 14 is driven from the-main cam shaft 51 by means of a conventional pawl and ratchet mechanism similar to that illustrated for driving the shaft 2. This mechanism, as shown in Fig. 6, includes a ratchet gear 8| secured to the spindle 14, and a pawl mechanism to which is imparted a reciprocating movement by a cam 83 on the cam shaft 51. The actuating connections for the pawl and ratchet are of conventional design and are therefore'indicated only in diagrammatic form to include a vertically arranged connecting link 82a, a cam lever, and a follower 82 arranged to be shifted laterally into and out of cam engaging position by means of a shifting fork 84 and an axially movable pattern control rod 85. At its left hand end, as shown inFig. 6, the pattern control rod 85 is connected to a bell-crank pattern lever 85 associated with a pattern chain 81 of the machine. It may be noted that each of the several pattern control rods including the rod 62 previously described, is similarly actuated from the pattern chain 81 by means of pattern levers which may be similar to that conventionally shown at 85.

The stops 11, which are fitted on the housing 19, can likewise be put out of or into Operation by the pattern chain 81. For this purpose, there is employed a square shaft 88, which is driven by the cam roller 9| through a ratchet gear 89 and a linkage 90, in the same way as the ratchet wheel 55a. The corresponding roller, which is mounted on a lever, is denoted by 92 and the shifting fork is denoted by 93. The shifting fork is, in turn, connected with a control rod 94 which, in turn, is driven from the pattern chain 81 through a lever 85.

The square shaft 88 associated with the left hand housing 19 and a similar square shaft 88 associated with the right hand housing I9 are mounted, on the machine, at one end in supporting arms 95 and, at the other end, in arms 96 which form parts of the housings I9. Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of the stops associated with the left hand housing I9 on an enlarged scale. As can be seen from this figure, the housing I9 is mounted on the narrowing spindle I4 and on a guide rail I which, for the sake of clearness, has not been represented in Fig. 6. The stops 11 are located in a slot in the housing. Each stop is loaded by a spring IOI which tends to pull it downwards. The cross pins I02, to which the springs IOI are secured, extend through the stops. They all lie on a rail I03 which is fixed to an arm I04. This arm is supported on parallel lever arms I05 and I06. The arm I05 is connected with the square shaft 08 so as to rotate therewith. The arm I06 is pivoted to the arm 96. The square shaft itself is, as

shown in Fig. 7, rotatably mounted in the arm 96.

By rotating the left hand square shaft 09, all of the stops I! can be raised and lowered. As would be evident from Figs. 7 and 8, a rocking movement of the shaft 88 is employed, which is effected by the engagement of the follower 92 with its cam disc 9|. With this construction, upward movement is obviously effected by the cam, which will hold the stops in their raised position during the traverse. Downward movement is effected by the springs IN. The mounting of the stops 19, as indicated in Fig. 6, is carried out in the same manner. Inasmuch as this mechanism is a duplication of that previously described for the actuation of stops 71, specific illustration of the same, including the pattern control, has been omitted from Fig. 6.

In the example of embodiment the stops TI and I8 serve for limiting the thread guide path during the working. For the pu pose of fixing the working position when putting in the carrier rods, there are used the stops I5 and 16 which have been represented on an enlarged scale in Figs. 8 and 9. On the housing I9, there is mounted in a depending arm 91 a shaft IIO which is crosswise of the carrier rods. On this shaft there are mounted next to each other levers II I of the first order on which stops are fixed. The levers III are acted upon by springs II2 which tend to push the stops 15 toward the thread-guide bars. In Fig. 8, the foremost stop I5 is in engagement with a stop II3 on the foremost carrier rod 2 I.

In the housing 19, a shaft '5 is rotatably mounted on an ear II4. This shaft carries a fork H6. The ends of the fork are connected by a thin shaft II I which passes below the stops 15. The shaft I I 5 can be rotated, through a lever H8 and a bar II9, from a bar I20 (see Fig. 6) which is, in turn, displaced from the pattern chain 81 through a lever 86. By rotating the shaft I I5, the fork II 6 is raised and lowered, with the result that the stops 15 can likewise be raised and lowered.

The stops I6 are formed and mounted correspondingly to the stops 15. The are likewise put out of and into operation by the pattern chain of the machine.

In Fig. 6, the friction rod is denoted by 99. The known bearing means of the bar are denoted diagrammatically at I2I. On the friction rod, there is mounted a friction box I22 which is represented in Figs. 10 and 11 on an enlarged I scale. The friction box I22 has a narrow housin I23 which is perpendicular to the carrier rods and in which a desired number of driving pins I24 are mounted. These pins are acted upon by springs I25. They are raised and lowered by slides I 26 with cam surfaces I21 in a similar manner to that described for the auxiliary driving device. The slides I26 are connected with levers I29 of the first order which are rotatably mounted on a shaft I29 of the housing I23. These levers are acted upon by springs I30 and by the cam plates I3I. The cam plates I3I are mounted on a controlling shaft I32, which is rotatably mounted on the knitting machine. The housing I23 can slide together with the cam plates I3I on the shaft I32. For the purpose of operating the controlling shaft I32 there is employed a ratchet-wheel gearing I33 which is driven by the cam plate I35 through a bar I34 in a manner that has been described several times. The corresponding roller I36 can be shifted by a fork I31. The latter is mounted on a bar I39 which is, in turn, operated by one of the levers 96. By rotating the controlling shaft I32, any desired driving pins I24 can be put out of or into operation. The cam plates I3I are, like the cam plates of the auxiliary driving device I, formed in such a manner that the plates can be fitted with cam pins in different ways.

The operation of the device according to the invention is as follows:

If it is necessary to bring the thread guide I0 into the working position and to shift it to the left through the amount a, the shaft 2 is rotated by the ratchet wheel 55a in such a manner from the pattern chain of the machine that, as shown in Fig. 6, the foremost driving pin I1 comes into engagement with the lug 26 on the foremost carrier rod 2I. At the same time or following it, the lever 52 will have been released by the cam disc 53 which is mounted on the shaft 2, so that the bar 31 (Fig. 1) releases the roller 36 of the middle coupling part 32 and, consequently, also the coupling part 34. The member 42 becomes placed behind the bar 43, so that, on the ensuing movement, the auxiliary driving-device and also the foremost carrier rod 2| are driven through the driving pin I1 and the stop 26.

On the foremost carrier rod 2I there are fitted the two stops I40 and MI which, in conjunction with the stops TI and I8, limit the path of the thread guides I0 in laying the thread. Now, the stop I40 is used for the carrier rod with thread guides I0, which are on the right of the needle row, for the purpose of fixing the working position for the thread guides I0. If, when the stops II are raised, the carrier rod 2I is displaced through an amount a, the edge I40a of the stop I40 strikes against the corresponding stop I5. These stops are, at that point of time,'

located in their lowest position. As stated, these stops are also controlled from the pattern chain of the machine. As soon as the edge I40a has reached the corresponding stop I5, the driving pin I! will, owing to the oblique bounding face of the notch 29, have been automatically lifted out, so that the auxiliary driving device can continue its travel.

During the operation above described of bringing a newly actuated carrier rod into the zone of active operation, the machine is preferably conditioned for idle coursing.

For the purpose of driving the carrier rods 2I during the laying of the thread, there is employed the driving lug I42 which, on the displacement of the bar through an amount a, comes into engagement with the corresponding driving pin I24.

This pin has previously been selected by the counting device with the aid of the ratchet wheel I and the corresponding cam plate Ill. After the coupling rod has been brought into its cou pling position, the stops 15 are raised by means of the pattern mechanism and the stops l'l are brought into the working position. The auxiliary driving device is, at the end of the moving operation, again uncoupled from the slur cock rail. The bar 31 is raised and prevents the driving device from again being taken from left to right on the next moving operation. The carrier rods 2| can now be moved forwards and backwards inaccordance with the stops 1'! and 18.

When the working of the thread guides has been completed, they must be brought back into the position of rest from the working positioni. e., they must be displaced through an amount a. For this purpose, the driving device is moved from left to right. When this is being done, the

1. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereon, a yarn carrier driving mechanism including means for automatically couping and uncoupling selected carrier rods to be driven by said mechanism, and an auxiliary driving mechanism for shifting said uncoupled carrier rods to an idling position beyond the limit of active traverse of said yarn carriers.

2. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereon, a yarn carrier driving mechanism including means for automatically coupling and uncoupling selected carrier rods to be driven by said mechanism, and an auxiliary mechanism for shifting said uncoupled carrier rods into an idling position beyond the limit of active traverse of said yarn carriers, and for shifting selected carrier rods from said idling position into position to be coupled with said first-mentioned driving mechanism.

3. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting ma-' chine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereon, a yarn carrier driving mechanism including means for automatically coupling and uncoupling selected carrier rods to be driven by said mechanism, an auxiliary mechanismfor shifting said uncoupled carrier rods into an idling position beyond the limit of active traverse of said yarn carriers, and for shifting se lected carrier rods from said idling position into position to be coupled with said first-mentioned driving mechanism, and coupling stops for stopping said selected carrier rods shifted by said auxiliary mechanism in each of said idling and cou-v pling positions.

4. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereon, a yam carrier driving mechanism comprising a reciprocating friction driving rod, a carrier rod driving device frictioned on said rod, means operatively coupling and un- [lit till

coupling said driving device to drive a selected carrier rod, and an auxiliary driving mechanism for shifting said selected carrier rod between a position for coupling with said friction driving device and an inactive idling position beyond the limit of active traverse of said yarn guides, said auxiliary driving device including driving connections selectively operable fo coupling and uncoupling selected carrier rods thereto.

5. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereon, a yarn carrier driving mechanism comprising a reciprocating friction driving rod, a carrier rod driving device frictioned on said rod, means operatively coupling and uncoupling said driving device to drive a selected carrier rod, an auxiliary driving mechanism for' shifting said selected carrier rod between a position for coupling with said friction driving device and an inactive idling position beyond the limit of active traverse of said yarn guides, said auxiliary driving device including driving connections selectively operable for coupling and uncoupling selected carrier rods thereto, and pattern control means for controlling the operation of each of said coupling means and driving connections.

6. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides associated therewith, the combination of a carrier driving mechanism which comprises a reciprocating friction driving rod, a frictiondriving device frictioned on said rod including means for coupling thereto and uncoupling therefrom selected carrier rods, adjustable carrier stops for limiting carrier movement during active operation, coupling carrier stops, means for shifting ,said operating carrier stops and coupling carrier stops into and out'of stop position, a slur-cock bar, an auxiliary driving device including means for coupling thereto and uncoupling therefrom selected carrier rods, means for connecting and disconnecting the auxiliary driving device to be actuated by the slur-cock bar, and pattern means for controlling each of said coupling and uncoupling means and said connecting and disconnecting means whereby said auxiliary driving device is rendered operative to shift a selected carrier rod from inactive idling position against a cooperating coupling stop and the carrier rod is thereafter coupled with said friction driving device for operation between said adjustable carrier stops.

7. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides associated therewith, the combination of a carrier driving mechanism which comprises a reciprocating friction driving rod, a friction driving device frictioned on said rod including means for coupling thereto and uncoupling therefrom selected carrier rods, a narrowing spindle having narrowing carrier stops associated therewith, means for shifting said stops into and out of stop position, coupling carrier stops spaced from said narrowing carrier stops and shiftable therewith, means for shifting said carrier stops into and out of stop position whereby a selected carrier rod is rendered operative and is returned to its inactive idling position beyond the limit of active traverse.

8. In a flat iull-fashioned type knitting machine having a plurality of carrier rods and yarn guides supported thereon, a yarn carrier driving mechanism including means for rendering said driving mechanism operative and inoperative to drive selected carrier rods between limits of active traverse of said yarn guides, a slur-cock bar, an auxiliary driving device for shifting selected carrier rods between :a posi-- tion for coupling with said driving mechanism and an inactive idling position beyond the limit of active traverse 01 said yarn guides, pattern means for coupling to said auxiliary driving device and uncoupling therefrom selected carrier rods, pattern control means for connecting the auxilary driving device to be positively driven by said slur-cock bar, means including a stationary cam for disconnecting the auxiliary driving device at the end of its travel in either direction, and coupling stops to arrest movement of said selected carrier rods in coupling position during continued movement of the auxiliary driving device.

9. In a flat full-fashioned type knitting 'machine having a plurality of carrier rods and 1 limits 01' active traverse of said yarn guides, a

slur-cock bar, an auxiliary driving device for shifting selected carrier rods between a position for coupling with said driving device and an inactive idling position beyond the limit of active traverse of said yarn guides, driving pins on the driving device and cooperating driving lugs on the carrier rods having cammed engaging surfaces to provide a breakable driving connection therebetween, pattern means for connecting and disconnecting said driving pins, stops for stopping carrier rods shifted by said auxiliary driving device in each of said idling and coupling positions, pattern means connecting the auxiliary driving device to be actuated by the slur-cock bar, and stationary cams for discon-- necting the same from the slur-cock bar at the limit of its travel in each direction.

FRIEDRICH VERBEEK. 

